What She Needs
by tetsia.howard
Summary: What happens when two lonely people have a little too much to drink? They don't call it liquid courage for nothing. NanaxTsuyoshi, Iemitsu bashing for the lovely SkyGem
1. Liquid Courage

It started innocently enough. As Tsuna's family grew, it just made more sense to have the Vongola parties at Takesushi instead of the Boss' home. Of course, no one would hear of Nana staying home… she was stuck there by herself far too often. And of course, when she and Yamamoto-san cooked together, it was pure magic. Everyone agreed on that.

As she spent more time with Tsuna and his new friends, she couldn't help but notice how… reliable Yamamoto-san was. No matter what chaos was brought into his restaurant, he just laughed and moved through it. She also noticed how kind he was to all the children, especially her Tsu-kun. The brunette finally concluded that he was a big part of why her son had changed from such a dame child to the strong, happy young man he was. She loved Iemitsu… but she had to admit that Yamamoto-san was a very good father.

They started spending time together without the kids around, planning holiday meals and birthdays. Nana noticed that Yamamoto-san's eyes were always warm, and it seemed that his laughter was never far below the surface. She found herself enjoying his company, especially when they could talk about what their boys were up to. She was, however, beginning to believe that there wasn't a serious man on the planet… at least Yamamoto-san didn't make wildly inappropriate remarks and drink until he passed out every night… the spiteful thought crossed her mind a couple times, but she never voiced it; Iemitsu had been good to her, as much as he could be.

The night she discovered Yamamoto-san's serious side would forever be ingrained in her mind. She had left the house late, heading to Takesushi to share dinner with the sushi chef. Tsuna was missing and Takeshi, Ipin, and Lambo had all disappeared that morning. She was assured by Bianchi that they were doing everything they could to find the children, but that didn't stop her from worrying. She knew that the gentle chef had to be worried as well, so when the empty house got the best of her anxieties, she made up a quick meal and headed out the door.

Namimori had always been such a peaceful place, so being surrounded by a group of thugs less than 100 feet from Takesushi was terrifying. She did the first thing that came to her mind… she screamed at the top of her lungs. One of the thugs grabbed her arm and covered her mouth; she clung to the dish in her hand, some random idea to keep it as a weapon crossing her frightened mind. There was a grunt behind them and the punk turned in time to see his comrades on the ground, bloody and beaten. Yamamoto-san stood in the middle of the road, his normally warm brown eyes ice cold and narrow. "Release the woman now, or I feed you steel." The easy way he held the katana to the side made Nana's eyes widen slightly… she didn't know he could fight. The delinquent shoved her towards the brunet and ran off.

"Sawada-san, are you all right?" The chef's voice was soft as he wrapped his free arm around her waist, gently steering her towards the back of the restaurant. When they got inside, he carefully sat her down at his kitchen table, stroking her back for a moment before walking to a far cabinet. Nana closed her eyes, trying to calm her shaking. It was nice to have a strong arm around her and a presence near her when she was scared or upset. The clink of a ceramic cup made her open her eyes. Yamamoto-san poured them each a shot of sake. "Drink. It'll help." He smiled warmly at her as he lifted his cup to his lips. She felt her own eyes twinkle back at him, despite her still shaking hands, and followed his instructions, downing the fiery liquid in one go.

He chuckled softly, nodding in approval before he swallowed his. He picked the bottle up and refilled both cups, making her giggle. "Feeling better, Sawada-san?"

"Hai… thank you, Yamamoto-san." She blinked down at the dish in her hand, then laughed again. "I brought dinner…" She looked up at him shyly, biting her lip. "I didn't want to stay at the house tonight, and I thought you might be just as anxious, with Take-kun missing…"

Yamamoto-san nodded and grabbed plates from the cabinet. His voice was slightly muffled with his back turned as he spoke. "Please, Sawada-san… call me Tsuyoshi." He turned with a smile and Nana couldn't help but notice that he was cute when he blushed.

"Ie… A-all right, but only if you call me Nana…. Sawada-san makes me feel so old." She flipped her hand at him, blushing prettily and giggling again. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing, but she felt very comfortable at the moment. Maybe it was just having someone else to spend time with… she picked up the cup again as Tsuyoshi served them her still warm meal and took a sip. It really was nice….

Dinner was a bit of a blur. She knew that she laughed more than she had in years, and that she enjoyed the sound of the sushi chef's easy chuckle. She also discovered that the counter was the perfect height for him to kiss her easily, and that she liked the feel of his warm, calloused hands on her waist. When he hoarsely suggested the bedroom, she didn't even hesitate, wrapping her arms around his neck when he picked her up. She also remembered her clothes hitting the floor first, and the way he stopped and stared at her made her feel beautiful.

Everything else was warm hands, wet mouths, soft sighs, and sharp, bright explosions of pleasure that finally sent them both spiraling into sleep.

* * *

The strawberry-blonde slowly opened her eyes, yawning. She started to stretch, stopping at the feel of warm flesh next to her. Her head turned slowly and she blushed fiercely at Tsuyoshi's sleeping form laying next to her. She could feel the sheets on her bare flesh and it didn't take a genius to realize he was naked as well. Everything from the night before rushed back to her and she gasped softly, covering her mouth. What was she thinking?! She was a married woman…

The sushi chef stretched and yawned, unaware of his lover's distress as he ran a hand over her stomach. "Good morning…"

Nana looked at him, biting her lip. "Tsu…. Tsuyoshi… I'm m-married…" Large tears slipped down her cheeks as the full weight of what they'd done hit her. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I should go…"

Tsuyoshi shook his head, pulling her into his arms and tucking her head under his chin. He rocked her gently, rubbing small circles in her back. "Shh… I'm sorry, Nana… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." He kissed the top of her head, then lifted her face gently by her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Nana… I'm sorry that you're still married… but I'm not sorry about last night." A wry chuckled escaped him. "I'm really, really sorry that you're still married…"

She stared up at him, a bit scared at what he was suggesting. She wanted it so badly, but… didn't that make her a terrible person? "Tsuyoshi, I…"

He nodded, closing her mouth with a finger. "You're still in love with him, I know. But if I don't take this opportunity, I'm going to regret it forever. I love you, Nana. I've been in love with you since Takeshi first invited you over. I haven't felt like this since my wife died… you're an amazing woman." He smiled gently, then removed his finger, and replaced it with his lips, kissing her deeply.

Nana's arms slid around his neck and she tilted her head, kissing him back. She was married… but she knew better than to say she was still in love with Iemitsu. The gentle, sweet man in her arms was everything that her husband was not… everything that she needed. Reliable, safe, and devoted to both his son and hers. A spiteful voice in the back of her mind, one she had ignored for years noted that she'd be happy to tell Iemitsu all this… if he ever bothered to show back up again.

The gentle chef pulled back, stroking a finger across her still-damp cheek. "Even if I have nothing else… I have this memory." He started to move away, and was stopped by her hand on his chest.

"You're wrong…" Her voice was a breathy whisper. She couldn't believe she was about to say this… but she knew without a doubt that it was true. "I-I don't love Iemitsu. I haven't for… quite some time, honestly. Alcohol or not, I would not have gone to bed with a man that I…" She dropped her gaze, blushing brightly again. "… a man that I didn't love."

Tsuyoshi stared at her in shock, his eyes wide and almost afraid. "Nana…"

She smiled at his uncertainty; it was just another trait that she loved about him. Lifting her head, she pressed her lips to his in a fierce but sweet kiss. When his arms wrapped around her again, she pressed herself against him, knowing full well what she was agreeing to and welcoming it with open arms… and a free heart.

* * *

The next morning, she walked home with her dish and a spring in her step. She was still worried for her son, and his friends… but she couldn't help the small smile that played about her lips. She was truly happy, for the first time in a long time.

She walked into the front door of her house and lifted her voice. "Bianchi, are you home?"

"She's upstairs." The clipped words came from a voice she knew far too well and she spun, dropping the dish in her arms. She barely registered the shatter of one of her favorite pans as she stared at her husband. "I-Iemitsu! Wh-what are you doing home?"

"I should be asking you why you AREN'T home? Did you just forget that our son is missing? Or do you not give a damn?" He was furious, hands balled into fists at his side.

Nana felt her eyes widen, then narrow. The fury that ripped through her would not be laughed away this time. "How DARE you?! How dare you come here and demand if ~I~ have forgotten our son? Did you remember his birthday? Or Christmas? Or school?" She was shaking, her voice ice cold and soft. "Did you remember that I've been here, doing my best for him while you are out gallivanting all over the world? How dare you ask me if I've forgotten my Tsu-kun?"

"Nana, you know I've been busy with.."

"Work. I know. The only thing in the world that ACTUALLY matters to you is work." She stormed past him into the kitchen, ignoring the shattered plate that crunched under her forgotten shoes.

He followed behind. Where was this coming from? His Nana was usually so pleasant when he came home… when he found her missing too, he was scared. And then, for her to just waltz back in like nothing happened…. "Where were you?"

"Why do you care?" She snapped back at him, eyeing the kitchen. She stalked over to the sink and started on the dishes.

"What the hell do you mean, why do I care?! You're my goddamned wife and I…" He stopped dead when she whirled, a sharp butcher's knife pointed at him.

"Don't. You. Dare." She hissed out, knuckles white on the knife. "Don't you DARE say you were worried, or you love me, or any other line of bullshit that you want to spew." She threw the knife back into the sink, stalking over to him. "You only love yourself… and that job of yours. There is no room in your heart or your mind for anything else. And if Bianchi hadn't contacted you to find out if you had information, you wouldn't have even KNOWN your son was missing." She slammed her fists into his chest, shoving him back a couple of steps. "Get out. Now. Do not ever come back here, SAWADA-SAN. I don't want you here, in any form."

He grabbed her arm as she turned away from him. "You can't just…"

A cool voice from the doorway made him pause. "I would suggest you release her, Sawada-san." Bianchi stepped in, and the Young Lion of Vongola stared at the steaming dumpling in her hand. "You will remove your hands from Maman, and you will leave this property." She walked up and stood behind the brunette, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Iemitsu narrowed his eyes. "I will leave when she tells me where she was for two days."

Nana smiled… a cold, almost cruel smile. He had hurt and abandoned her so much… She didn't realize she had a mean streak in her until she looked at her (almost ex-) husband. "I was with a man that loves me and cares for my child more than you ever will. You are no longer welcome here, Sawada-san. I will have Reborn and Bianchi send you the divorce papers." She turned away from him, not wanting him to see how much joy and pain were in her eyes. She was throwing away her marriage of almost 16 years… but really, didn't she deserve a little happiness? Didn't Tsu-kun deserve a father that loved him more than once every 5 years?

"It is time for you to leave, Sawada-san. Don't worry about Maman, we'll make sure she's well cared for." Bianchi's voice was soothing to the brunette, and strengthened her resolve. She didn't turn until the crunch of glass and the click of the front door announced Iemitsu's departure.

"Bianchi… tell me I did the right thing…" Tears slid down her cheeks as the full weight of what she'd done hit her.

"Hai, Maman… you should have done that years ago." The purplenette pulled Nana into her arms, stroking her back gently and letting her cry.

After a bit, Nana's tears slowed and stopped, allowing her to take a deep breath. Bianchi's mischievous grin caught her off-guard. "Am I to assume that things went… well, with Yamamoto-san?"

The brunette blushed and nodded, hands flying to her cheeks in embarrassment. "H-hai… I just…" She shook her head, laughing softly. "I have laundry to do, Bianchi…"

The warm alto laugh of the younger woman made Nana smile as she grabbed her clothes, heading outside.

The little kids jumping on her was Nana's first indication that Tsuna was back. She hugged them both tightly, thrilled to see them again. She could hear Iemitsu's voice from the gate and ground her teeth through her smile… she didn't know what he might say to their son, but she couldn't deny him the right to talk.

Tsuna walked into the back yard and smiled widely at her. "Heya, Kaa-san… Sorry for taking so long." She loved how sheepish he looked.

"Are you all right, Tsu-kun?" When he nodded, she smiled and sent the little ones inside to find Bianchi and get something to eat. She started to follow, but he put his hand on her arm. She didn't realize he'd gotten so tall; he looked her in the eye, concern shining in his eyes.

"Are YOU all right?" At her puzzled look, he motioned toward the gate. "Iemitsu told me."

She bit her lip, wondering what exactly he'd told their son. "He did?"

"Hai." Tsu-kun narrowed his eyes a bit, rubbing her arm. "I don't care about the divorce… you should have done that a long time ago. But… who was it, Kaa-san?" He was not going to have some scumbag taking advantage of his sweet mother.

Nana blushed and looked away. She was not having this conversation with her son…

"Okaasan… Who. Was. It?" His voice was so stern and cool… she looked up at him, startled into telling the truth before she thought about it.

"Y-yamamoto-san…"

"HIEE!?" Tsuna took a step back, staring at her in shock. When he started laughing, she wasn't sure what to think. Had her son lost his mind?

"That… that's perfect, Kaasan!" He caught his breath and wrapped her in a hug, kissing her cheek. "Does he make you happy?"

She nodded, still blushing.

"Good." Tsuna was thrilled, both for his mother and for the man he'd grown to admire. That did not, however, mean that Reborn's sadistic streak had been repressed… Not by a long shot. He pulled out his phone and dialed the Yamamoto residence.

"Hai, Yamamoto! … Is he? … Ha ha, that's good!" He almost felt guilty for what he was about to do… almost. "Speaking of your otousan… may I speak with him? … Yeah, it's important. Hai."

Nana choked, reaching for the phone. Tsuna dodged away from her, all the training he'd received made it like child's play.

"Hai, Yamamoto-san. We have to talk. … Well, I don't appreciate people taking advantage of my okaasan's kindness." He grinned cheekily at Nana, who was desperately reaching for the phone. He couldn't help but notice how, even though she was embarrassed, her eyes were dancing with a happiness that had been missing before… she looked like a teenager. "I think you and your son should get over here. Now." He hung up the phone quickly, before his mother's antics could make him laugh. "Don't you think he should know, kaa-san?"

"Tsunayoshi! That's embarrassing! How could you?" She was laughing and mortified at the same time, clutching her blushing cheeks.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek between her fingers, smiling. "Because… you deserve only the best."

* * *

AN: A present for the lovely SkyGem. I don't know how in the world this has become multi-chapter... but it has. You'll see soon enough. Enjoy!


	2. The Reckoning

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, Master of the Shigure Soen Ryu and accomplished sushi chef and restaurant owner… was nervous. After Tsuna hung up, he turned to find Takeshi staring at him curiously. Of course he'd be curious… why would his best friend ask to speak to his father, less than an hour after they all got home?

"Ah, so it seems we've been invited to the Sawadas'!" He tried for a light-hearted approach, expecting the typical laughter and quick agreement from his son. What he wasn't expecting was narrowed eyes and arms folded across the teen's chest. "Takeshi?"

"What was that about, Pops?" When did the boy start looking like a man? Tsuyoshi felt his heart clench with the realization that his little boy was now standing in front of him; a young man that deserved answers.

Still… it was easier to realize it than actually do it. He took a deep breath and sat at the kitchen table, motioning for the younger Yamamoto to join him. His eyes ranged over the kitchen and stopped with a slight blush at the counter.

"Pops?"

The sushi chef shook himself, looking back to his son. "It seems Tsuna is… a bit put out with me." Was he really discussing this with his son? There wasn't really any helping it. He hoped that he hadn't ruined the friendship between the boys with his selfishness.

"Maa maa, I'm sure it's it's not that bad… Tsuna never stays mad." Takeshi laughed, but kept his steady gaze on his father. He'd seen the blush, and the nerves, and didn't want to walk into Tsuna's house unprepared.

"Well… it might be." Tsuyoshi scratched the back of his head, not meeting his son's eyes. "I… started a relationship with his mother."

Takeshi blinked a couple times before speaking. His voice was slow, trying to piece together what his father had said. "You… started a relationship… with Sawada-san? Pops… you know she's MARRIED, right?" Tsuna was going to kill his father… and possibly him…

"Yes, Takeshi, I do… but…" He trailed off. He was NOT going into that with the boy, grown up as he may appear to be. "Tsuna has requested our presence at his house… we'd best not keep him waiting."

The trip to the Sawada residence was quiet. Tsuyoshi noticed approvingly that Takeshi was carrying the Shigure Kintoke; he grabbed that before he'd thought about grabbing his jacket. The older man knew he was just avoiding thinking about the possible confrontation that was forthcoming. He didn't want the boys to fight because of him. He also wasn't willing to lose Nana to Tsuna's faith in his father… but he didn't want to destroy that faith. He knew Tsuna had little enough as it was. As his mind raced through the possibilities, he didn't even realize they'd reached their destination until he heard Takeshi's voice.

"Pops! Yo, Pops, you almost walked right past." Takeshi laughed and walked in the front door. "Yo, Tsuna! Ojamashimasu!"

Tsuna walked out, a very serious expression on his face. "Yamamoto-san, I'm disappointed in you. How could you take advantage of my okaasan like that?" When Takeshi stepped forward, obviously wanting to calm things down, Tsuna shot him a look. "This is not your fight at the moment, Yamamoto."

"Don't get upset with Takeshi because you're mad at me, Tsunayoshi." Tsuyoshi's voice was as stern and serious as Tsuna's. If the young man was serious on protecting his mother, the sushi chef would prove to him that he was just as serious about wooing her. "I would never take advantage of your mother. Things may have gone farther than either of us expected, but my intentions were never to hurt or dishonor her."

Tsuna's eyes had turned back to the older brunet as he spoke. "Then what, exactly, WERE your intentions, Yamamoto-san?"

With a deep breath, Tsuyoshi answered with complete honesty. "My intentions were to never let her know that I was in love her. I knew she was married, and I thought that she loved her husband. I would never have come between that."

"You're in love with my okaasan?" Tsuna's raised eyebrow spoke volumes.

Tsuyoshi nodded, not noticing the door to the kitchen crack open slightly. Purple and brown hair mixed as Bianchi kept her hand over Nana's mouth… she was enjoying Tsuna's wicked game and didn't want Maman to spoil it with her fangirl screams.

Tsuna turned to Takeshi, head tilted. "And how exactly do you feel about this, Yamamoto?"

Takeshi shrugged, giving Tsuna his sincere smile. "If my Pops is happy, and Sawada-san is happy, then I'm all for it. But what about your otousan?"

The grin that had been trying desperately to escape Tsuna since the Yamamotos arrived finally broke through. "She's divorcing him!" He really wanted to dance… but settled for a quick thumbs up and dancing eyes. "Yamamoto-san… if you're sincere about this… and IF your son approves, you definitely have my blessing."

Takeshi draped an arm over Tsuna's shoulders, laughing. "Ha ha, now we really WILL be family, Tsuna!"

"Eh!?" Tsuyoshi's face turned bright red almost instantly. "T-takeshi! Don't jump to conclusions so fast!" He shot a sour look at the two boys who were currently laughing themselves sick at his face… then looked up at the giggles coming from the kitchen. That sounded like…

He strode through the door, catching sight of Nana and Bianchi laughing as well. In an instant he noticed how the sunlight streaming through the window caught the brunette's hair, giving her face an ethereal glow. And the flushing of her cheeks reminded him of their first night together. Without a thought, he was across the room and had her in his arms, lifting her chin to kiss her. The soft sound of surprise right before she melted into his arms was the best thing he'd heard in a very long time.

The boys caught their breath, watching in approval. Takeshi laughed. "Ha ha, I can't wait to tell Gokudera!"

"HIEEEEE!" Tsuna knew that was going to be a disaster.

* * *

Outside, a cough startled Iemitsu out of the bushes where he was watching (not stalking, dammit, it was HIS house…). He heard how Tsuna cheered at his divorce… that hurt more than anything else. He thought his adorable son would be on his side; after all, the men of the house should stick together.

"But you're NOT the man of this house, Iemitsu." Reborn's high pitched voice broke through his musings. "You haven't been in quite some time."

"Reborn, you know why I had to do that."

"Now I know where Tsuna got his dameness from. Are you really that stupid, or just that arrogant, Young Lion? Tsuna has been the man of the house since you left for the first time and didn't bother returning for 3 years. And the time after that, it was almost 5. Did you expect him to mourn your absence forever? To forgive and forget whenever you graced them with your presence. The Ninth has been urging you for YEARS to see them more often, but there's always an excuse." He pointed his gun at the External Advisor, more to make a point than to the actually threaten. "They're not dogs, Iemitsu… you can't just ignore them and hope they'll still care about you when you come back."

The blond ground his teeth together, slamming his fist into the wall. "But I love her! Them! They're my family…."

Reborn handed him a small packet of papers. "Not anymore, External Advisor. I'd suggest you act in that role accordingly, as that might be the only way to retain any relationship with your son." He stood and walked along the wall to head back inside. "Ciaossu."

* * *

AN: Short chapter is short. Next time, the boys get the dubious pleasure of telling their volatile Storm... and is Iemitsu really gonna give up without a fight?


	3. Surviving the Storm

Tsuna and Yamamoto were spending nearly all of their time outside of school together, trying to figure out how to tell Hayato about their parents' good fortune. Somehow, neither teen figured that the bomber would see it that way. Finally, Yamamoto put it in a way that Tsuna couldn't argue with. "Ha ha, no matter how or what we tell him, he's going to fly off the handle. We'll just have to calm him back down again and explain. The longer we wait, the worse it's gonna be."

With those dubious words of wisdom, Tsuna invited the bomber to his place after school, on the pretense of helping with homework. He also asked Reborn to make sure that everyone else was out of the house. When the Arcobaleno's eyes gleamed with mischief, they were both surprised by Tsuna's reaction. "Reborn, do NOT turn this into one of your training exercises. This is not about me being a Boss, this is about my kaasan being happy. You are NOT to screw that up."

Reborn had shadowed his face with his fedora, and Tsuna was sure he was going to get shot, so he was pleasantly surprised to hear, "As you wish, Tsuna." A spark of hyper intuition told the Decimo not to question the lack of 'Dame' being added to his name – he nodded to his tutor and headed out for school.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover that for once, a plan he'd made had gone through… the house was completely empty when the three boys walked in. ("Tch, why are you here, yakyuubaka?" "Maa maa, Dera, it's always more fun to study when we're together." "Don't call me that, dammit!" "Gokudera-kun, I invited Yamamoto to join us." "Well, if that's what you want, Juudaime… Just don't get any funny ideas, yakyuubaka.") A note on the table told Tsuna that Yamamoto-san had taken everyone out for dinner and movies and they wouldn't be back until late. He quickly hid that from the bomber, not wanting to get the argument started too early.

"Kaasan left snacks for us in the fridge; we can bring them upstairs and get to work." Tsuna and Gokudera each grabbed a tray and Yamamoto grabbed a six-pack of soda and they headed upstairs. The two co-conspirators exchanged a silent glance and nodded. No sense in waiting any longer.

"Gokudera-kun, I need to discuss something important with you before we get started on homework." Tsuna took a deep breath, trying not to freak out.

"Hai, Juudaime?" The bomber's attention was immediately on his boss, though Tsuna was glad to notice that he couldn't imagine the wagging tail anymore. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "I'm not sure if you've heard yet, but my kaasan is divorcing Iemitsu." He paused for a minute, realizing that since he found out, he hadn't called the man 'father' in any fashion.

Gokudera's voice broke him out of his mini-revery. "Good for her! It's about time." Despite agreeing with Tsuna in just about everything, this was the silveret's own opinion… he'd had far too much experience dealing with loveless marriages. "I… hope you're not too upset, though…"

"Who, me? No. No way! I'm really happy for her, actually." Tsuna's smile was bright as he considered it, then he sobered a bit, looking over his volatile friend. "There's more good news to be had, actually." He glanced at Yamamoto, then took a deep breath. "Actually, it seems that my kaasan and Yamamoto-san have hit it off really well."

"Hmm? That's good, Juudaime, she deserves to be happy." It took a minute, because the Storm was far too happy for the woman who'd taken him in and cared about him to process bad things right away. "Wait… WHO!?"

And there it was… "Ha ha ha, it seems that my pops really likes Tsuna's mom…"

"HOW DARE YOU LET YOUR PERVERTED OLD MAN GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE TENTH'S SWEET, INNOCENT MOTHER, YOU BASTARD!"

"Maa maa, Dera, we weren't even here at the time! We were still in the future." Yamamoto held up his hands in a placating manner and glanced at Tsuna.

"HIE! Gokudera-kun, please calm down! Yamamoto didn't have anything to do with…"

"I'll kill that son of a bitch! How dare he take advantage of Sawada-san when no one was here to protect her!?" Though his voice had dropped in volume, it still shook with rage… not his normal, 'yakyuubaka and turftop are pissing me off' anger, but a pure, unadulterated rage. Tsuna could see now how he'd survived for so long on his own.

"Gokudera-kun, it wasn't like that. Please listen to me…"

"What kind of right-hand man am I if I let her get taken advantage of? What kind of SON are you that you would let it happen and give them your blessings?!" He was yelling at Tsuna now, who looked totally shocked.

"Hey, now, Gokudera, that's enough." Yamamoto's voice was stern, his eyes narrowed. "That's not what happened at all. You're jumping to conclusions."

"What else could have POSSIBLY happened?!" The bomber was on his feet, shaking in fury. "We all jump to the future, even the KIDS, and there's no one here to keep her safe! And your goddamned father-"

"MY POPS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Yamamoto was on his feet too, yelling back. His good humor only went so far, and he'd just gotten his father back.

"That's enough, from both of you." Tsuna's deep, calm voice and the flame flickering on his forehead stopped his best friends in their tracks. They turned to look at him, blanching slightly at the disappointed look on his face. "Both of you need to sit down now. Gokudera-kun, you will listen, and stay quiet, until we are done explaining."

The two boys sat, not looking at each other. Tsuna sighed softly, sitting on the bed. "Gokudera-kun, no one took advantage of my kaasan. As a matter of fact, because we weren't here to protect her, Yamamoto-san did so for us. I am forever in his debt for keeping her unharmed." His Hyper Intuition was telling him there was something off about the silveret's reactions, but he needed to clear the air between his friends before he could figure out what it was. "Do you understand that?"

"Hai, Juudaime…" The Storm shot a glance at Yamamoto and winced a bit. No matter what happened, they WERE still friends, and he had crossed a line. "I'm sorry, yakyuubaka. I didn't mean everything that I said about your father." He really couldn't help himself. "Some of it… but not everything."

The bark of laughter that came from the baseball idol eased tension in all their shoulders. "Maa maa, Dera, my pops isn't all bad. He feeds you, doesn't he?"

The silveret nodded with a bit of a smirk, and Tsuna took a deep breath. The flame on his head went out and his eyes cleared. "Geez, guys… really?"

"Ha ha, sorry, Tsuna. Guess we're all a little stressed, huh?"

The brunet nodded, offering them his gentle smile. "Hai, guess we are." He looked over at the bomber and tilted his head. "Gokudera-kun…"

But Yamamoto beat him to the question. "So is it just my pops you have an issue with, or is it any guy that gets too close to Sawada-san?" Tsuna turned to stare at the swordsman. How had he known?

Gokudera looked over at them and sighed. He grabbed one of the cans of soda, opened it and took a long drink before setting it down. Both boys gave him the time he needed to collect himself… the Storm wasn't exactly into spilling secrets easily. "Sawada-san has been extremely decent to me… moreso than I deserve."

Unseen by the bomber, Yamamoto opened his mouth to argue and Tsuna held up a hand, silencing him. He wanted to hear this out… they could argue later.

"It pissed me off, knowing that your dad was just ignoring her. She deserves better than that, ya know? I mean, I know she's not my mother, but… she's a lot like her."

Tsuna reached out, resting his hand on Gokudera's forearm. Yamamoto's hand went on his shoulder and he squeezed it gently. "Sawada-san has kind of been a mom to all of us. I think that's why I don't find this weird at all… nothing's changing."

"Tch, you thinking is what's changing, baka." But he smiled a little.

"Gokudera-kun… you know you're always welcome here, right?"

The bomber nodded, and Yamamoto laughed brightly, a 'brilliant' idea coming to him.

"Ha ha ha, I've got it! Your old man is out of the picture, so we don't have to worry about him anymore… so why not ask Sawada-san to officially adopt Gokudera! She's been thinking about doing it for Lambo and I-pin anyway… what's one more?"

"Yakyuubaka, she can't adopt me!"

"Why not, Gokudera-kun?"

"B-because… it wouldn't be right, Juudaime. How could I be your right-hand man then?"

"HIE?! Gokudera-kun, are you STILL worrying about that? Family is family. You're always going to be my right-hand man, and Yamamoto is always going to be my left." He sighed after he got it out… there was no longer a point in arguing with their future. They'd seen it plain as day.

"J-juudaime… do you really mean that?"

"Of course he does, Dera! So, are you in? We'll talk to Sawada-san tonight!" Yamamoto clapped the silveret on the back, almost knocking him over.

"Damned jock, be careful." He shoved the hand away. "If it's all right with Juudaime… then… yeahIguessthatsoundsgood."

That night, after the kids got put down to bed, Tsuna sat at the kitchen table with his mother, the Yamamotos and Gokudera. He had made tea for everyone, ignoring his mother when she offered to help, and they were all enjoying a companionable silence after a chaotic day.

After a few minutes, Tsuna leaned back and looked at his mother. "Kaa-san, what are we going to do with all these kids? They're going to have to go to school soon, you know."

"Hai, Tsu-kun… I wasn't sure I'd be able to take them in…" She looked down at her cup, an abnormal frown on her face. "I mean… I want to, but with your father…"

"One, he's not my father. Reborn and Yamamoto-san have been better fathers to me than he could hope to be. Two, he's not part of the equation anymore." Tsuna leaned forward, putting a hand on his mother's, and making her look at him curiously. "What do YOU want to do, Kaa-san?"

Again, the strawberry-blonde was struck by how grown-up her son had become. She turned her hand up, wrapping her fingers lightly around his. "I can't stand the idea of anyone being alone, Tsu-kun."

He nodded. "Then we'll adopt them. It's not like they don't live here anyway." He laughed brightly. "We've got room for a few more, right?"

"Ara? What do you mean, Tsu-kun?"

"Well, Gokudera lives by himself… it'd be nice for him to have a legal family, wouldn't it? I mean, Bianchi's an adult, and she's a great sister," he ignored the snort from his Storm, knowing that even if he wouldn't say it, he still agreed, "but…"

"Oh, Tsu-kun, you could have just asked. Of course we'll take in Haya-kun as well."

Yamamoto's sharp bark of laughter immediately followed Gokudera's face turning bright red. He growled at the baseball player, trying to get him to shut up without resorting to his normal tactics.

"What exactly is so funny, Take-kun?" Nana's eyes twinkled as she winked at Tsuyoshi. The younger Yamamoto choked on his laughter, staring at her in surprise. "S-sawada-san…"

Tsuyoshi nodded at her, smirking at his son's shock. "Well, YOU were the one who said you and Tsuna would actually be family…"

Suddenly, Tsuna started laughing. Bright peals of laughter echoed through the room and it was several minutes before he settled, wiping his eyes and catching his breath. "Y-you win… Reborn…" He giggled softly, not at all surprised when the Arcobaleno walked into the kitchen and hopped onto his shoulder.

"Don't I always, dame-Tsuna?"

* * *

AN: If you absolutely cannot figure out what's going on at the end, PM me and I'll explain... or you can wait for the next chapter, where all will be revealed. ;)


	4. Midnight Musings

"Sawada-dono, I think thou hast had enough for one night…" Basil's voice was weary as he eyed the External Advisor.

Who at this point, was very, very drunk. "Shcrew you, Bashil. I can do wha'e'er I want. Go'damned R'born and hish shtupid papersh. Fuck 'im. And fuck dat shcumbag bashtard who shtole my Nana…" He started crying; great gulping loud sobs that had the attention of everyone at the bar, and made Basil want to crawl in a hole. He HATED it when Iemitsu drank…

"My Nana… my boot'ful wife…" His fist hit the table. "And MY SHON! Dat bastard shtole my shon!" He started crying again, banging his head on the table.

"Really, Sawada-dono… let us go home. Thou should get some sleep…" The sandy-haired teen sighed and covered his face with his hand when he realized that once again, the blond wasn't listening to him.

"I'mma get her back, Bashil. You'll shee. You'll all shee!" He spun, wobbling for a second and pointing at the rest of the bar accusingly. "Dat bashtard fuckin' shushi chef can't have my Nana! I'll… I'll…" He dropped to the ground, burying his face in his hands and crying again.

* * *

In a yellow house across town, two men sat up in bed, staring at the far wall. Tsuna's hyper intuition was going haywire and he peered around, looking for the threat. When he saw that all was well, he slipped out of bed and headed downstairs, checking the house. A noise behind him made him spin, arms up to protect himself.

"Easy, Tsuna, it's just me."

The brunet dropped his arms and led Tsuyoshi to the kitchen, checking the rest of the house as they went. He pulled out a couple of sodas and handed one to the older man. "I didn't mean to wake you, Yamamoto-san."

"You didn't. Just… a weird feeling, that's all." He looked the young man over, eyebrows raised. "Do you always sleep in gloves?"

"Eeh…" Tsuna blushed, scratching the back of his head. How could he explain this…?

"This has something to do with why Takeshi was so intent on learning the sword, and why you all disappeared, doesn't it?" When Tsuna shot him a startled laugh, the sushi chef just shrugged. "I am old, Tsuna, not stupid. Takeshi isn't a fighter… or he wasn't before he started hanging out with you."

The young Sky couldn't help the way his shoulders slumped, or the defeated look on his face. He had never WANTED his friend to have to fight… hadn't wanted him to deal with his father's death, with Yuni's suicide… (his inner voice whispered, 'sacrifice', but he still didn't believe it). And he knew that it was just going to get worse… this was why he'd never wanted to believe Reborn in the first place. "I-I'm sorry, Yamamoto-san…"

"Don't be. You're the reason Takeshi laughs and smiles so much… Especially you and Hayato. He loves baseball, but he was never this happy around his teammates." The older man looked out the dark window. "You're also the reason he's alive, ya know?"

"E-eh!? N-no, Yama-"

"Save it. I know the truth, Tsuna. I know what he tried to do, and I know what you and Hayato stopped him from doing. I can never repay that. You gave me back my son, for which I will be eternally grateful."

The brunet sighed softly. "You don't owe me anything. Neither of you do. Yamamoto has been through a lot with me, and I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been with us." He looked Tsuyoshi in the eye and the older man was startled by how clear his eyes were… and the fact that they were filled with tears. "I never wanted your son to be a fighter. I didn't want that for any of my friends. But I can't choose their paths for them. I tried to argue them all out of it, but…" He shook his head, closing his eyes as the tears slipped down his cheeks. He could see, through memory's eyes, the look of grief and coldness on his best friend's older face when he spoke of his father's death. And he knew that sooner or later, he'd be having a similar conversation with the parents of his loved ones… and now that included his mother; when his friends eventually lost their lives doing the one thing he didn't want them to do: protect him.

Tsuyoshi moved over slightly and pulled Tsuna into his arms. As old as he, and Takeshi, might appear to be, they were still only 14 year old kids. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he knew that no child should have this much on their shoulders with no one to support them. "Shhh, you're right… you can't choose another person's path, Tsuna. And I'm proud to know that my son's choice is to be by your side, no matter what." He rubbed the boy's back gently, resting his head on top of the fluffy brown hair. "But you don't have to do everything on your own, either. Your mother…" He stopped as Tsuna picked his head up, shaking it quickly.

"Kaa-san can't know… about any of this. It's probably the only thing my dad and I agreed on." He gave a sarcastic laugh, wiping his eyes. "Ever." He took a deep breath, not able to meet Tsuyoshi's eyes. "I appreciate what you're saying… but are you going to feel the same way when I bring you a coffin and some memories?"

"You say when as if it's already set in stone, Tsuna. It might well be Takeshi bringing your mother a coffin and some memories… would you want her to hate him for that?"

Because the memories were still so fresh and vivid, and because Tsuyoshi's voice was soft and gentle, the tears started to fall again. Tsuna buried his face in his hands, muffling the soft sobs that racked his shoulders.

Again, the sushi chef wrapped his arms around the crying youth, hugging him gently and letting him cry. He said nothing, not exactly knowing where the heartbroken tears were coming from. If he didn't find out from Tsuna, he would have Takeshi keep an eye on him tomorrow… pain like this didn't just fade away.

After what felt like hours, but was only about ten minutes, Tsuna lifted his head, wiping his red eyes on his sleeve as he tried to catch his breath. "I'm sorry… Yamamoto-san…"

"It's all right." He narrowed his eyes slightly, giving the brunet a deeply concerned look. "Tsuna, I don't know what's going on here, and honestly, that's all right. You don't have to tell me anything. But… you have friends for a reason, and family. No one is supposed to face all their troubles on their own. So if you need to… my door is always open to you, no questions asked."

The Vongola Sky managed a weak laugh. "Ie, it's all right… I don't want to be a burden."

"You are not a burden. Ever. I had thought that was clear even before your mother and I started dating. I considered you practically a son then, and I definitely consider you one now. Bring your problems to me. I'll try to help you as much as I can."

* * *

Iemitsu stumbled down the street, dubiously supported by the smaller Basil. Maybe if he'd been a little less heartbroken, or a lot less drunk, he'd have felt that little glimmer of his own hyper intuition, telling him that his son had drifted even farther away from him.

As it was… he didn't. "Fuck him, Bashil! I'll kill de fucker, and den Nana will come back to me!" He stopped dead for a second, almost dragging the sandy-haired youth to the ground before regaining his balance. "Courshe… I'll make her shweat a bit firsht… cuzsh she d-d-dumped me, Bashil!" He was crying again, stumbling forward as his companion pulled him along. "But I'mma get her back! Nana… my Nana… my Tshunayoshi-kun…" His loud cries and violent declarations filled the streets as Basil steered him towards the hotel.

It was one of few times that Basil truly wished an epic hangover on his boss… it would be only fair for the major headache the blond had given him tonight.

* * *

AN: I totally lied, NOTHING got revealed. I'm a terrible author. lol Gomenasai, all. I promise it'll make sense later, but Tsuna needed to get some stuff off his chest apparently. -.-' I'm sorry! I have no control of my writing at all.


	5. Memories Best Left Behind

Three weeks almost to the day that Reborn had served him the divorce papers, Iemitsu burst into the Japanese satellite office of CEDEF with a huge grin on his face. Lal Mirch looked up from where she and Basil were going over some paperwork and sighed. "This can't be good…"

Basil just shook his head as the External Advisor walked over to them, practically glowing. "I've got it! Finally finished! It's perfect! Nana'll HAVE to take me back now."

"What is 'perfect', Sawada-dono?" Basil knew Lal wouldn't ask, and felt that they really should know what was coming.

"My date with Nana! I have it all set up! By the time the night is over, she'll be BEGGING me to come back!" The blond was practically crowing with delight, not noticing the stares he was getting from his subordinates.

"How, precisely, do you think one date will fix your marriage?" Lal stood on the desk, staring at Iemitsu incredulously.

"Tch, what would you know, Lal? You can't even date! Are you sure you even know what being in love is?"

Basil's eyes went wide and he slowly slid back, touching the pills in his pocket. He SO wasn't getting involved in this argument unless he had to. The sandy blond wasn't at all surprised when the Arcobaleno's foot connected with Iemitsu's face.

"My love-life is not what's in question here, oh Lion of Vongola." Lal shook slightly in anger as she jumped away. "Are you planning on erasing 16 years of mistakes with a bit of steak?"

Iemitsu sat up, rubbing the welt on his cheek. "Well, no… but…" the blond's face brightened. "Hey! That's a great idea!" He turned and ran back out of the room, leaving Lal and Basil thoroughly confused.

"Perhaps thou should hath kept thine mouth shut… or kicked him harder."

"Yeah… you're probably right… Oh well, back to work, Basil."

* * *

It was almost a full week longer before Iemitsu could put his grand plan into action. He was irritated to discover that Tsuyoshi had since practically moved into the Sawada house, and to find that Tsuna was spending almost as much time training in the Yamamoto's dojo as he was with Reborn. All of this would change soon… and the blonde couldn't wait to throw the bastard sushi chef to the curb when his plan came to fruition. He waited until Nana was outside working on the laundry again. The silence that filled the neighborhood told him that the kids were either at school or napping and the usurper was at his restaurant. This would probably be his only chance. He walked into the backyard where Nana was humming softly to herself as she put up sheets.

"Nana…"

The brunette spun, staring at him with startled eyes. "Iem-Sawada-san. What are you doing here?"

Iemitsu pouted at her reaction. "Aww, Nana, don't be like that. I… wanted to take you out tonight."

She blinked at him, looking bewildered. "Why… why would you want to? I mean…"

"I just want another chance, Nana… that's all. Just one more…" He was to her in two strides, holding onto her elbow. When she tried to pull away, he tightened his grip a little. "Nana, this is only gonna work if you stop fighting…" He held up what looked like a small silver flashlight, flicking a button and engulfing Nana's face in a sickly yellow-green light.

He knew something went wrong when she blinked, looked up at him, and started screaming. He stumbled back, staring at her as she looked around, shaking like a leaf with huge eyes.

"N-nana?"

Her head whipped around, staring at him in confusion. "Wh-who are you?! Wh-where… where am I?"

Iemitsu took a step forward, just in time to catch her as her eyes rolled back in her head. Shit… Picking her up, he moved through the house, laying her on the couch and calling the only person he could think of that might have answers.

* * *

Half an hour later, Reborn and Shamal were standing over the brunette, who was thankfully still out. Iemitsu was being held still by three of Shamal's diseased mosquitoes buzzing around his head.

"There's nothing I can do, Reborn. Until she wakes up and we see the extent of whatever this idiot did, I don't know what may or may not help her." Shamal turned a dark glare on the External Advisor, unconsciously mirroring the Arcobaleno's look. "You have done some really stupid things, but this takes the cake, Sawada."

"Tsuna and the boys will be home soon. Let them deal with him." Reborn's voice was ice cold and he turned his back on the blond.

"Reborn, you wouldn't…"

"The hell I wouldn't! I TOLD you, stay as the External Advisor; keep a relationship with your son. So what's the best idea you come up with?! Attacking Maman? You're pathetic." He didn't even bother turning around, just walked out of the room, stopping at the doorway. "Don't let him move, Shamal. I wouldn't want him sneaking away before Dame-Tsuna got home."

* * *

An hour later found a very cramped Iemitsu sitting in the exact same position as Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera walked in. He heard Reborn's voice from the kitchen calling to them, but try as he might, he couldn't hear what the Arcobaleno was telling them

He could hear it when they got the bad part, though…

"WHAT?! I'll fucking kill him!" That was a bit disconcerting… why would the Smokin' Bomb care?

"Maa, Dera… I'm sure there's a reason for it…" The baseball player's voice, however, was ice cold, and Iemitsu felt a cold sweat break out as he heard it.

The one voice he couldn't hear was the one he was straining for.

"But Tsuna…"

"Juudaime…"

Again, a very soft hum wafted from the kitchen, but the blond couldn't make out any actual words. He was straining so hard to hear that when the kitchen door banged open, he jumped in surprise. Yamamoto and Gokudera stood in the doorway for a second before moving forward together. A separate part of Iemitsu's mind noticed that they were already working as the right and left hand of Vongola… he was proud of them for a split second.

Until they grabbed his arms and hauled him out of his chair. Shamal opened his case, signaling for the mosquitoes to return. They'd done their job, now it was up to the young Decimo to do his. The Storm and Rain drug Iemitsu to the backyard, where Tsuna was standing, talking to Reborn with his back to the door.

"Tsunayoshi, I…"

"I don't want to hear it." The brunet's voice was soft, even, and filled with ice. "I don't want to hear any of your excuses. I don't want to hear any of your 'reasons'. I want you to tell me exactly what you did to Kaasan, and I want you to tell me now." He still hadn't turned around.

"I… I borrowed a Vongola invention from Giannini." The blond took a breath, standing straight and shaking the two boys off of him. If he was going down, he was going down as the Young Lion of Vongola, not some two-bit off the street. "I told him it was for research. I just wanted your mother to forget that damned sushi chef and come back…"

Gokudera and Yamamoto both took a couple steps away from the External Advisor. Everyone could feel the cold sweep of killing intent glide across the yard. Had Iemitsu not been looking directly at him, he would have sworn it came from Reborn, but the Arcobaleno just pulled his fedora down, shading his eyes. "You have to make this decision, Dame-Tsuna. Whatever you choose, your Famiglia will abide by."

"Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto, back off." Tsuna turned and Iemitsu gaped… he'd never seen his son's flames so bright or clear. "Bring me your Flames, _Otousan_. Because if you don't give me everything you have, I may kill you for hurting kaasan." Tsuna's gloves flashed and he was airborne, flying at the blond and rocking him backwards with a devastating punch.

Iemitsu picked himself up slowly, his Sky flames coating his fists. "If this is what you want…" He flew back at Tsuna, and the two traded flame-fueled blows back and forth in the yard. The three bystanders found a safe haven on the roof to watch; their silence was almost deafening as the Sawadas exchanged blow for blow and block for block. It wasn't long before both were bleeding. Iemitsu's nose was destroyed and blood flowed freely from the destruction. Tsuna's lip was split wide, and every time he opened his mouth, red gushed down the front of his uniform shirt. `They flew apart, both panting harshly.

"This is getting us nowhere, son…"

"I'm no son of yours!" The Flames on Tsuna's head flared despite his obvious exhaustion. "You have no right to claim ANYTHING here, Iemitsu! And the fact that you used a Vongola invention on kaasan… when YOU were the one hiding the Mafia from her…" The petite male shook with rage.

"I had to get her back!" Iemitsu held up placating hands, hoping his son would see reason.

His words seemed to have the opposite effect, because suddenly Tsuna was airborne again, without giving the blond a chance to see him coming or defend himself. The fist that landed in the middle of the External Advisor's chest caused an audible 'ka-CRACK' to echo through the yard and he flew back into the garden wall, leaving a large dent. The blond slumped to the ground, no longer moving.

Reborn was suddenly in front of Tsuna as the brunet started forward again. "Enough, Dame-Tsuna."

The Flames extinguished and Tsuna wiped his lip with the back of his hand, glaring at the fallen figure of the man who'd dared to hurt his mother. "He doesn't come back to Japan, Reborn. Ever. If he comes close to her again, I will kill him." He turned, stumbling slightly and wrapping an arm around his ribs in pain.

Gokudera was right there, wrapping an arm around his Boss' waist and helping him into the house. Yamamoto looked down at Iemitsu with a soft sigh. "I suppose it wouldn't be right to just let him lay here."

Reborn smirked. "An ambulance is on its way. I'll stay with him, you should be inside." He wasn't the least bit surprised with Yamamoto nodded and walked into the house without so much as a backwards glance.

Inside, Shamal had cleared a straight-backed chair and directed Gokudera to put Tsuna in it. He didn't say a single word about not treating men, just got to work. When Yamamoto walked in and raised an eyebrow at the scene, Gokudera just shrugged, getting out of the pervert doctor's way.

Tsuna's shirt was cut away and even Shamal hissed softly at the sweep of bruises across his chest. With delicate, professional fingers, he ran his hands over the brunet's ribs. "Four cracked. There don't seem to be any broken, so you got lucky there." He stood up, lifting Tsuna's face gently and checking his lip. "That's gonna need some stitches. Hang tight." He rifled through his kit, pulling out a sterilized needle and thread. He quickly applied an anesthetic and sewed the young Decimo up. He wouldn't admit it, but it bothered him that not a single complaint, 'Hiieee', or even whimper of pain came from the brunet. As soon as he was finished, Tsuna thanked him quietly and went to sit with Nana.

Gokudera and Yamamoto followed him in; the boys ranged themselves around the couch, watching the brunette with concern. After putting his things away, Shamal walked back in to the living room. "There doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with her. I'm not completely sure why she's still unconscious, but she should hopefully be coming around any time now."

Tsuna nodded at the information, lifting a sore, shaking hand to brush a lock of hair out of his mother's face. He hated fighting, and hated killing even more… but watching his mother's face, so still and quiet… it was the first time he wished he was more like Xanxus and could kill without remorse.

* * *

It was more than hour later before any hint of movement happened. Gokudera and Tsuna had convinced Yamamoto to wait until they knew what was going on before calling Tsuyoshi. All he'd be able to do was stand around and worry with them.

Tsuna had been pulling a blanket over Nana, more for something to do than with any real thought of it helping, when her face scrunched up and she let out a soft whimper. He immediately dropped to his knees next to her, wincing slightly as he jarred his ribs. "Kaasan? Kaasan, wake up…"

Nana's brown eyes slowly opened and she blinked up at the ceiling, whimpering softly.

"Kaasan?"

Her gaze shifted over to Tsuna and her eyes widened. She sat up quickly, pushing herself against the back of the couch, trying to get as far away from the brunet as she could.

"K-kaasan?! What's wrong?" He reached for her, but stopped as she whimpered loudly.

"Who… who are you?! What do you want?!"

It felt like Tsuna had been punched in the chest all over again, the air robbed from his lungs. "K-kaasan… what are you talking about? I'm Tsunayoshi! I'm your son…."

"M-my… son?" She bit her lip, hard enough to leave deep divots in the soft skin. "Wh-who… who am I?"

Yes, Tsuna thought as he sat back on his heels. Some days, he really wished he was more like Xanxus.


	6. Memories of the Future

Tsuyoshi was beside himself. Seeing Nana so afraid of everything around her, and knowing that she'd been like this while he'd being screwing around at the shop… The sushi chef had lost his seemingly endless temper, and his son was the one who ended up bearing the brunt of it.

"What the hell were you thinking, Takeshi?! Why didn't you call immediately?!"

The younger Yamamoto just shook his head. "What could you have done, Pops? She's been unconscious until just about an hour ago… by the time you closed the restaurant up it would-"

"You inconsiderate ass, you could have WARNED ME! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Takeshi's eyes widened and he snapped his mouth shut to hide a quivering lip. His father never yelled at him… ever. Seeing him angry and scared when the Rain was already scared himself… he turned away from everyone, just as Tsuna and Hayato got over their shock and jumped to their feet.

The silver-haired Storm balled his fists at his side, looking very much like he wanted to deck the elder Yamamoto. "What the fuck do you think YOU could have done that the hentai doctor and Reborn couldn't? Not a damned thing, so don't take your uselessness out on him!"

Before Tsuyoshi could open his mouth, Tsuna spoke up. "Gokudera-kun, that's enough. I think Yamamoto-san got the point." He turned very serious brown eyes on the sushi chef. "At least, I would hope that you've gotten the point." His voice was ice cold and actually gave Tsuyoshi shivers.

"Takeshi…" The sushi chef walked over and put a hand on his son's arm. "I'm sorry…"

"Ha ha, it's fine, Pops… we're all worried." Takeshi's voice was thick, but he smiled at his father, taking a deep breath.

Tsuyoshi nodded and pulled the boy into a hug, kissing the top of his head. He was worried, but really… taking it out on Takeshi was ridiculous. He looked back at the woman he loved with a heavy heart. She wouldn't remember anything. He closed his eyes, dropping his arms to his sides. He couldn't… couldn't lose someone else he loved. Not like this, when she was right there and he couldn't touch her. He felt sick.

"Pops… Reborn said it was probably just temporary. Just… be patient, ok?" It was Takeshi's turn to hug his father, resting his forehead against the sushi chef's for a moment. "She's not Mom… everything'll be ok."

Tsuyoshi's eyes widened for a minute, before he closed them again, a ghost of his normal smile on his face. "You're right." He nodded, pulling away and straightening. "You're right. No sense giving up hope before the end of the first inning, right?" It felt good to hear Takeshi laugh at the baseball reference, even though he could hear how strained it was.

Tsuna had turned back to the couch, kneeling back down in front of his mother. Shamal was patting her hand reassuringly while she drank a cup of tea. The Arcobaleno had left some time ago, muttering something about finding Giannini and getting him to fix this mess. Tsuna put a hand on Nana's knee, smiling warmly at her. It felt like a knife went through his chest when she pulled away from him with a whimper. "Kaasan… it'll be ok…" The knife twisted when large tears started pouring down her cheeks. She buried her head in her hands and Tsuna stood, backing away slightly.

"Shamal… please take care of her. Reborn will hopefully be back soon." Somehow he managed to speak normally through the clenching in his chest. He felt like he couldn't breathe, but it would only frighten his mother more if he let anyone see that. He walked past the Yamamotos and Gokudera.

"Juudaime?"

"Tsuna?"

"I'm fine, guys. Just wanna make sure the ambulance showed up." He brushed past their reaching hands, walking out into the backyard. It didn't take him long to reach the back wall. As the tears started rolling down his cheeks, his fist hit the wall. He couldn't do anything for her… he had never felt so dame in his life as he did right now.

As Tsuna walked outside, Tsuyoshi watched him leave with pained eyes. He knew that Nana would want him to comfort her son… but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He still didn't know exactly what was going on. With that thought in mind, he walked into the living room and nodded to Shamal, who had wrapped an arm around the crying woman.

"So… what's the verdict, doc?" Tsuyoshi could feel that his smile was strained, but when all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around the scared brunette and tell her everything was fine… it was the best he could do.

"Right now, we're just waiting. Reborn went to fetch someone who might be able to tell us a bit more… he's the one who created the machine that did this."

Shamal's hand gently stroking Nana's hair made the sushi chef see green. He wanted to be the one to comfort her… "What kind of machine?" He hoped his voice didn't sound as bitter to the doctor as it did to him.

"We're not completely sure. Obviously a memory-altering machine of some sort… probably a useful thing if it hadn't so blatantly malfunctioned. I don't know what Iemitsu was thinking, really…" Shamal didn't realize his slip until Tsuyoshi was on his feet.

"What?" It was easy to see where the boy's natural hitman talents came from… The sushi chef was totally still; a predator awaiting sight of his prey. His hands curled into loose fists. "Where exactly is he now?"

The doctor blinked and sighed softly. "He's in the hospital, being treated after the Decimo dealt with him. You should-" He stopped as the elder Yamamoto turned on his heel and headed toward the front door.

There was never a time that Trident Shamal thought he'd be sorry to hear a woman's voice… especially a beautiful woman like Bianchi. But when he heard her at the door, he froze. She had the kids… he hated dealing with children, but it would be even worse now, with their adoptive mother in this state.

Thankfully, it seemed that Tsuyoshi was more interested in being a father than an assassin… his voice was easily heard in the hallway. "Ha ha, you did all that, huh?" Excited children's voices could be heard, but Shamal didn't have the inclination to listen in. He hoped they went to the kitchen first so he could spirit the poor woman upstairs. She didn't need to be subjected to more guilt trips for something that wasn't her fault.

But Tsuyoshi obviously had a better idea. "Well, since I'm sure Bianchi has other things to do, why I don't I take you three out for ice cream, huh? Maman isn't home right now, so it'll be a treat for just us. Sound good?" The yells of excitement shook the house and they were out almost as quickly as they'd come in.

Bianchi walked into the living room and tilted her head. "Maman?"

"Heya, beautiful. She doesn't know that name, or you, or anyone else at the moment. Iemitsu fucked up." The brunet hitman leaned against the back of the couch, sighing deeply. "Decimo disappeared about 20 minutes ago. I'm not sure where he went, but I know he hasn't left the vicinity since he found out. Reborn should be back soon… I hope. He left a couple hours ago." Nana curled up again and Shamal put his arms around her.

It was easy for Bianchi to see that he was uncomfortable. Flirting with girls was one thing… but it went against everything the doctor believed in to sit helpless and wait. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and nodded. "I'll go find Tsuna. Reborn will be back soon, Shamal… just be patient."

She walked into the kitchen, noting a dent in the table in front of her little brother's head… it looked like he punched the wood before dropping his head to it. The Yamamoto boy had his head in his hands, shoulders bowed. She paused at the doorway, a silent sigh slipping from her lips. She knew this would hit Tsuna hard… she hadn't thought of the affect it would have on the other two boys. She walked past them quietly, leaving them to their thoughts. She would deal with that after she made sure Tsuna was all right.

It wasn't hard to find him after she stepped outside; the soft, broken sobs led her to the far wall. He was curled up against it with his arms wrapped around his knees. Small streaks of blood decorated the wall and as she got closer, she could see the ruin that was his hand.

"Tsuna…" She knelt down, running a gentle hand through his hair.

He lifted his tear-stained face, staring at her. Everything that he'd gone through, everything that Reborn still had planned for him… at this moment, they didn't matter. He was just a helpless teenage boy whose mother was hurt. He scrubbed at his face with his good hand. "B-Bianchi…" His eyes widened and he started to push himself up. "The kids…"

"Relax, Tsuyoshi took them out for a bit. They haven't seen her."

The brunet nodded numbly, flopping back against the wall. "That's good… they shouldn't have to see her like that." He took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes again.

Bianchi noticed the stitches in his lip and blinked. "Tsuna… what happened while I was gone?"

That drew a bark of bitter laughter from the future boss. "Iemitsu decided to use one of Gianinni's inventions to make Kaasan forget Tsuyoshi. It malfunctioned… color me surprised… and she's forgotten everything, and everyone. Dr. Shamal says she's fine, except for the memory thing." His eyes turned hard as he stared down at his hands. "Which is probably the only reason he's still alive…" He sighed, resting his head against the wall. "I challenged him, won, and told Reborn he was no longer welcome in Japan. Hopefully, this time he gets the damned hint. He spends my whole life away from us because he's 'hiding us from the Mafia'… but as soon as that becomes inconvenient, he uses Vongola weapons on her?" His voice shook slightly as his eyes closed.

Bianchi sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "She'll be all right, Tsuna. Maman is a lot tougher than you guys give her credit for." She squeezed his shoulder gently, then stood and pulled him up. "C'mon… your brothers need you." She felt a little guilty for taking away his private moment, but she knew that focusing on something was better than wallowing in guilt and sadness. She was relieved when he stood up and took in a deep breath.

"You're right." He pulled her to her feet, giving her a brief hug. "Thanks, Bianchi." She couldn't help but smile at the boss-like aura he was giving off. They walked together into the kitchen and Tsuna waited until the pink-haired assassin had disappeared into the living room before walking over to his best friends and putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"C'mon, guys… We've got work to do." They both looked up and he gave them a gentle smile, knowing his eyes were just as red as theirs. "Takeshi, your dad's not gonna be back for a while and dinner needs made, at least for the kids. Would you mind?"

The boys looked a little shocked at Tsuna's use of their first names, before Takeshi answered. "Not at all, Tsuna." The taller boy gave him a smile and a nod before standing up and opening the fridge.

"Hayato, I need research done. This was a Giannini invention… I want to know what we're gonna have to do if he tells us he doesn't know what happened. Amnesia, brain injuries, mental breakdowns… all of it. Reborn just got me a laptop, it's on my desk. Bring it down here. I'm gonna have Shamal and Bianchi take Kaasan upstairs. She should be resting right now anyway, and the longer we can keep I-Pin, Lambo, and Fuuta in the dark about this, the better it'll be for all of us."

"Hai, Juudaime!" The silveret took the steps two at a time, grateful for a task that actually seemed to be helping.

* * *

It was an hour later that Tsuna finally got a call from Reborn. The kids had been fed and bathed and Takeshi was reading them a bedtime story. Hayato's glasses were perched on his nose and his hand flew over the notebook he was taking notes in, flipping from one website to the next. Tsuna and Tsuyoshi were sitting out on the back porch with Shamal, watching the sun go down as they waited for word. When Tsuna's cellphone went off, all three of them were immediately alert.

"Moshi moshi."

"Iemitsu is on a plane to Italy. He's stable, but will need several weeks of recovery. For some reason, I couldn't find a single Sun Flame user anywhere… and Lal's having the same problem." Reborn's voice over the speaker made Tsuna smirk slightly.

"That's too bad, Reborn. I do hope he has a safe flight… it's his last one from Japan to Italy."

"Giannini says his memory wiper should only erase a couple days' worth of memories, and should only last for an hour or so… it's supposed to be used in conjunction with memory replacement tools. That being said… he figures the memory loss will probably last about a week. It will NOT be permanent, so…"

Tsuna and Tsuyoshi both breathed sighs of relief while Shamal took over the conversation. "Any medical repercussions to this, Reborn?"

"He doesn't think so. She shouldn't have lost consciousness, so there's that… but he says if she has all her faculties in order other than her memory, she should be fine. We'll be there in the morning so he can make a more thorough analysis, but that's where we stand tonight."

Tsuna smiled. "Thanks, Reborn. We'll see you tomorrow, then." He hung up the phone and looked at Tsuyoshi, puzzled. "Ummm, Yamamoto-san?"

The sushi chef blinked, looking back at Tsuna. "Ha ha, sorry, Tsuna. I was just thinking… this is the perfect opportunity for me to do things right with Nana… I'd like to try my hand at actually dating her, if you'll allow it."

Shamal looked mildly impressed. He hadn't pegged the elder Yamamoto for a ladies' man, but that was definitely a good idea. Tsuna was obviously mulling it over.

"I'm not looking to take advantage of her, Tsuna. We skipped a lot of the parts of a normal relationship… I'd like to take her to dinner, bring her flowers… stuff that I just haven't had the chance to do for her yet. I… I don't like that she's so scared of me." He blushed, scratching the back of his head.

"I never thought you were taking advantage of her in the first place, Yamamoto-san. Just… understand that she might not be receptive to the idea. Don't get discouraged, ok?"

"Ha ha, don't worry about that! In a week, I have my Nana back… but until then, I'm gonna do my best!" He gave Tsuna a thumbs up and walked back inside to start planning.

* * *

AN: I'm SO SORRY this took so long to update! I've rewritten this chapter like, 3 times before I was happy with it. OTL Please forgive me!

Also, a shout out to Seithr-Kairy for pointing out the mistype in the last chapter. Muchly appreciated. I also fixed some derpy mistakes, because my ocd wouldn't let them stay put any more. lol


	7. Let's Start at the Very Beginning

It had been three days. As long and as grueling as they'd been for both her and her family, Nana couldn't really complain too much. She had hated seeing everyone so sad, and hated that she was the cause of it. But the whole house had perked up after a phone call and the fluffy brunet who said he was her son had knelt down in front of her and told her that it was all only temporary. To say she was relieved was an understatement.

The next day, when she woke up in the unfamiliar bed and looked around in confusion, she decided to observe. Just in case they were wrong… she was hoping that learning about the chaotic goings on in this place would help her remember on her own.

She learned quite a few things in the past three days. She'd discovered that she automatically listened to her own intuition about people. Call it an inner voice, a woman's intuition, or simply an innate ability to read people; she learned quickly enough to rely on it. The people that her son considered friends and family were… eclectic to say the least. Why in the world had she allowed all these people around?

First was the baby that spoke with the authority of an adult. He had reintroduced himself as Reborn, Tsuna's home tutor. She had stared at him for a minute; surely she had heard wrong. But as she looked into his dark eyes, eyes that had no right being that serious, or compassionate in a one-year-old's face, she nodded. There was much more to him than a home tutor. But she could trust him. She was proven correct over the course of the day as she watched him. The boys all treated him with respect, and she watched and heard him rally them back up when they started to flag. He was no infant, that's for sure… but she trusted him.

The next group of chaos she observed were the three teenage boys that seemed to make it their job to take care of her. There was her son, Tsunayoshi ("Tsu-kun, kaasan, remember?"). He was such a gentle creature, and she could honestly tell herself that she was proud of that fact. He never yelled in anger, though a couple screams of fright and concern could be heard from one end of the house to the other. He was rarely without a smile on his face. But when he was serious… his eyes were cool and calm and his voice was soothing. When that soft, even tone came out, everyone in the house snapped to his bidding, no questions asked. She pondered that for a bit, but could come up with no logical reasoning behind it.

The silver-haired teen who introduced himself as Gokudera ("Maa, Dera… his name's Hayato, Sawada-san.") was another mystery. He was so… antagonistic with everyone but Tsuna, Reborn, and herself. She was a little put off by him at first, until she watched him yell at the taller boy for messing up the laundry. Despite his apparent anger, he didn't storm away. He called him a baseball idiot and took the clothes himself. But when the tall boy followed him, he didn't say a word; and his voice was almost calm as he explained (maybe a little too much) where the mistake was made. When he caught her watching them, he blushed a bit and shoved the basket at the raven-haired boy, stalking out; but not before she caught the ghost of a smile on his lips. He came off as grumpy and bellicose… but in his own way, he was a teacher and truly cared about the people around him – even if he didn't want **them** to know it.

The tall boy ("Yamamoto Takeshi, Sawada-san! It's nice to meet you… again! Ha ha.") was fairly easy to figure out. He seemed to make it his life's work to make things easier for everyone else. After watching him for a day, she ventured out of her own comfort zone to rest a hand on his arm and remind him quietly to take some time for himself too. He had looked down at her with a slightly dazed expression, his smile shrinking just a little. She took his hand, walked him outside and sat with him on the back porch. It didn't take long before his head was on her shoulder and he was shaking with silent tears. She wrapped her arms around him, stroking his back. A movement at her back drew her gaze and she saw Hayato and Tsuna standing there, watching silently. After a moment, the two nodded and turned away, though she watched Hayato turn back for a second before they disappeared into the house. When Takeshi's tears slowed and she handed him a handkerchief, he gave her a dazzling smile and kissed her cheek. She reminded herself to let Tsuna know that the gentle boy needed some sort of stress relief… it wasn't good to carry his own pain and everyone else's.

She also noticed that the three boys were almost inseparable. If Takeshi was in the kitchen cooking, Hayato was seated at the table with a pair of glasses perched on his nose, absorbed in Tsuna's laptop. Tsuna would generally be working on homework or studying as he sat across from the silver-haired boy. If Tsuna wandered to the living room after a meal, the other two were quick to follow, settling lanky limbs on the floor and starting a heated debate about what they should watch. And whenever Hayato walked outside for a cigarette (a habit Nana was very much so hoping to break him of), Takeshi and Tsuna would be right behind him, the taller boy complaining that Dera was poisoning himself with those things. The extent of their companionship didn't really hit her until she got up in the middle of the night and saw a light on downstairs. She started to make her way down, but leaned back in the shadows as a sleepy Hayato shuffled past her, not even noticing her presence. With silent footsteps (somehow, her body remembered where every creak in the floorboards was and she avoided them naturally), she followed, wondering what exactly was going on. They did have school in the morning…

"Oi, yakyuubaka, what're you doing up?" Hayato's voice was husky with sleep and an attempt to be quiet. Nana stood back in the shadows so she could observe without being seen.

Takeshi lifted his head from the table where'd he'd been absently staring at a glass of milk. "Couldn't sleep. Didn't wanna wake anyone." He gave a small smile and stretched.

"Idiot… First of all, sitting in a cold kitchen isn't gonna help anything…" He grabbed the milk from the table, not bothering to hide his shudder. "Ugh… and this isn't gonna help either."

"Aww, Dera, c'mon… don't waste it." Takeshi reached out a hand to take the glass back, but for once, Hayato was quicker than him.

"Che, it should go to waste… nasty crap." As he was talking, he dumped the glass of milk into a small saucepan and added more milk in. After adding a little bit of sugar and cinnamon, he turned the heat on and stirred carefully.

Tsuna slipped past Nana, saying nothing though they exchanged a quick glance. He walked into the kitchen and settled opposite of Takeshi, yawning slightly. "I got the cards." He handed the pack to Takeshi, who deftly started shuffling them. Hayato came over a few minutes later, carrying three mugs. Straight warm milk for Takeshi and hot chocolate for himself and Tsuna. He looked at Takeshi and motioned to the cards. "You gonna deal or play by yourself?"

"Ha ha, yeah…" Nimble fingers quickly dealt out poker hands and the boys entertained themselves for a while, until Takeshi leaned his head on his hand, eyelids drifting shut.

"Hayato, help him back to bed. I'll clean up." Nana hid farther back in the shadows, letting the boys pass without seeing her. A few minutes later, Tsuna's voice called out quietly. "You can come in, you know. It's your kitchen, after all." His voice, though tired, was amused.

Nana walked in, watching him rinse out the mugs and pick the cards up. "Do you do this often?"

"Eh, not 'often' per se. Often enough that we have 'roles' I guess… Hayato has bad insomnia… he used to 'cure' it by sleeping outside my window, until I caught him. I called Takeshi over that night and we played cards until it was time to get ready for school." He chuckled softly, embarrassed. "You sure were surprised to see them 'at the door' so early… I don't think you realized that they literally just walked from the back door to the front." He plopped back down at the table and she followed suit, tilting her head. "Takeshi doesn't have issues often, but generally it's nightmares for him. He always tries to just pass them off, but…" He shrugged, resting his head on his hand. "I've known about them for a while. Whenever I thought they might be a problem, Hayato and I would stay over at his place, or I'd have him stay here. Tonight was a Takeshi night." Tsuna sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"What about you, Tsun… Tsu-kun?" She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face in response to the bright grin that dawned on his. "What happens when you can't sleep?"

He blushed brightly, ducking his head. She could tell he was really hoping she wouldn't ask that… it was kinda weird, but… "They… we kinda end up sleeping together." He stole a glance at her, taking a deep, calming breath at the lack of judgment on her face. "I know it's kinda strange, but… well… It's hard to explain, but… I guess I've gotten used to them being around, and to people in general being around… so it doesn't feel weird for them to stay with me." He sighed again. "Having them here all the time… I thought it would wear everyone out, ya know? Hayato's always bickering with everyone and Takeshi doesn't ever seem to take anything seriously… but I haven't felt so comfortable." He stood, pulling her to her feet. "C'mon… it's late and you should be resting."

"Tsu-kun… are you in trouble?" She could feel the heaviness in his step, and he'd shared probably more than he'd intended to. She wrapped an arm around his waist as they walked back upstairs.

"Ie, not in trouble. Just worried. About you, about Yamamoto-san… even about Iemitsu unfortunately. As pissed as I am at him and as out of line as he was… I probably could have done things differently." He let his head rest on her shoulder, and she enjoyed the companionable quiet between them. Bianchi had already informed her about what had happened, and she knew that her gentle son would eventually regret the violence he'd met his father with. Her arm tightened around his waist. Despite her lack of real memories, it was almost instinctual to comfort all of the children who ran amok in her home.

"Tsu-kun, you did what you thought needed done. Sometimes mistakes are made in the heat of the moment, but if we spend our time looking backwards, we'll miss all the wonderful things happening right in front of us." She kissed his forehead, smiling at him. "The present is what matters, Tsu-kun. The past is over and the future will sort itself out. Live for the now, and enjoy the time that you have with your loved ones."

He nodded, smiling brightly and giving her a hug. "You're right, Kaa-san. Anyway, get back to bed. You shouldn't be worrying about me right now." He kissed her cheek with a laugh and a gentle push towards her room.

As she slid back into bed, she smiled herself. When he really smiled, it was beautiful. She had no idea that his smile was one of the best things he'd gotten from her.

* * *

Tsuyoshi sat back to admire his work and nodded. The sushi trays were ready to go in the basket right before he left in the morning, the wine was chilling and the wicker basket was packed with all the non-perishable snacks and the place settings. A thick blanket sat in easy reach. All that was left to do was grab the flowers in the morning and pick Nana up. He was excited, and nervous, and couldn't believe that his palms were sweating like a 16 year old taking out his first date.

This would be amazing. He was sure of it. Everything was planned, everything was ready… he walked up to his room, flopped on the bed….. and stared at the ceiling until the sun's rays peeked in his window.

* * *

AN: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! *hearts* To clarify, Bianchi told her a 'non-mafia' version of what happened, sans Flames. Nana doesn't know anything about the Flames, so she wouldn't think it strange. :) Hope you enjoy, and as always, reviews = love. :D


	8. April Fool's!

Ha ha ha! For those who took the time to check this out, Happy April Fool's Day! Glad that I was able to freak so many of you out.

Gotta say, a little disturbed by the couple of you who were enjoying this chapter. LMAO

I'll have the ACTUAL date up sometime tomorrow or Wednesday, so be looking for it. Much love and hope you enjoyed my little trick. :D


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